SALT LAKE CITY — A college creative writing course didn't go well for Chris Stewart.
The professor told him he wasn't a good writer and questioned whether someone else wrote the short story he turned in at the end of the term. He convinced the professor it was his work, resulting in a passing grade.
Several years later, while rocking his daughter to sleep, Stewart, who had become an Air Force pilot, came up with what he thought would make a good book that someone should write. Writing nights and weekends, Stewart published in 1997 his first novel, "Shattered Bone," about a stolen B-1 bomber, a military spy and tensions between Russia and the U.S.
The three-term Republican congressman has now written 18 fiction and nonfiction books, including "My Story" with Elizabeth Smart. And as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Stewart is privy to the kind of the spy stuff he wrote about more than 20 years ago.
Stewart, 58, considers his work on the committee his most important accomplishment as he faces Democrat Shireen Ghorbani in the 2nd Congressional District, and "it's the one that's impossible for me to talk about." Libertarian Jeffrey Whipple is also on the ballot.
He recalled a trip to the Syrian border to gather information for a decision on whether to continue a billion-dollar program. The intelligence committee reviews the decision but the rest of Congress is unaware because it's a "black box" program, Stewart said.
Stewart said he tells himself all the time, "Be careful, be careful. Make sure you're doing the right thing."
In addition to his work on the intelligence committee, Stewart lists accomplishments like a national suicide prevention hotline bill and legislation making it easier for states to exchange federal lands to bring in money for schools.
"In Congress, I don’t think there’s usually one thing that you think, 'OK, this is my magnum opus.' It’s really a collection of smaller bills that you hope in aggregate have a positive impact," he said.
Stewart is noncommittal about how long he plans to serve should he win re-election. He does, however, want to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He said he sees a pathway for doing that in the coming Congress or the next. Committee chairmen serve six years.
Politics wasn't part of Stewart's upbringing on a Cache Valley ranch and dairy farm where he was the eighth of 10 children. Five of the six boys in the family, including Stewart, joined the military, like their father, an Air Force pilot who retired to teach school and farm. Stewart wears his dad's wings on his lapel.
As a "rebellious" teenager, Stewart found his father's suggestion that he become a pilot a "dumb idea." That stuck with him into college until he saw F-16s taking off at Hill Air Force Base one day. He decided then he wanted to fly and serve the country.
Stewart drove home to tell his wife, Evie, who said "that's a terrible idea." But after Stewart earned his degree in economics from Utah State University, he signed up.
On his first day of flight school, the instructor informed the class that half of the 82 students would wash out.
"I was scared to death that I wasn’t going to make it," Stewart said.
But with hard work, Stewart graduated at the top of his class. He went on to fly rescue helicopters and the B-1 bomber for 14 years in the Air Force and set some flying world records along the way.
Stewart's friend, Brent Bishop, of Farmington, said he knows him as someone always willing to do the right thing, regardless of how difficult and what others thinks. He points to Stewart's decision to fly rescue helicopter over the glory of becoming a “top gun" flying fighter jets.
"He's willing to take on the hardest of it all," Bishop said.
Feeling he needed more time with his wife — who loved their time in the Air Force — and his six kids and figuring he could make a living writing books, Stewart returned to civilian life. He also owned a small environmental policy and energy development firm.
Stewart said running for office wasn't ever on his mind until he received a phone call one morning urging him to run against Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson in the newly drawn 2nd District. Stewart and Evie quickly came to a decision.
Within a couple days, he went from never having thought about running, having no political experience or background and no friends in politics to becoming a candidate.
"It was a bit of a stretch, but we just felt compelled to do it," Stewart said.
Matheson ended up jumping to the 4th District, and Stewart cruised to victory in 2012 as well as the past two elections.
Ghorbani, his Democratic challenger this year, said the biggest issue in the campaign is that voters don't know who Stewart is.
"I think that's just silly," the congressman said, noting he won three elections with at least 60 percent of the vote.
Bishop said Stewart isn't pretentious, noting he drives an old pickup truck and that he's not embarrassed by it. He has a nice house but not a fancy one, he said. Bishop said he's never heard Stewart worry about not being elected because of a decision he makes.
Stewart doesn't search out attention, but events over the past year or so have frequently landed him on network news shows, usually talking about foreign affairs. He said he just tries to work hard and do a good job.
"I'm not the loudest member of the delegation, but that’s OK because that’s not why I ran," Stewart said.
Where he stands ...
Public lands
Sponsored legislation to put reduction of Grand-Staircase National Monument into law and create a new national park.
Jobs and economy
In addition to lowering taxes for businesses and individuals, the Republican tax plan bringing back business to the U.S. and creating jobs.
Immigration
Need to enforce strong border laws and illegal immigrants should not be allowed citizenship until they return to the home countries and follow U.S. immigration process.
Health care
Voted to repeal parts of Obamacare. Favors legislation that would drive down costs, offer families more choices and protect people with pre-existing conditions.
National defense
Supports President Donald Trump’s military plan to build the Navy fleet and boost missile defenses to counter threats from North Korea and Iran.